Total births
5,864
Boys' name · since 1880
Malcom
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 5,864 babies named Malcom, peaking in 1992. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1737
- among boys today
- 5,864
- born since 1880
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 88%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Malcom is the #1737 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 5,864 recorded since 1880.
Malcom has 5,864 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #1737 as of the latest data, more common than 88% of boys, busiest in the 1990s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1737 among boys today
- 5,864 born since 1880
- 1990s peak decade
- 88% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Malcom is currently the #1737 boys' name in America, more common than 88% of boys - 5,864 born since 1880, peaking in the 1990s.
- #1737
- among boys today
- 5,864
- born since 1880
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 88%
- more common than other boys
Malcom vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1737
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 88% of names given to boys today.
1990s
Peak decade
19% of everyone ever named Malcom was born in this single decade.
1992
Single peak year
186 babies were named Malcom in 1992 - its busiest year on record.
How Malcom compares
5,864 Top 11% higher than 89% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Malcom's all-time total is 16x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Malcom | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 5,864 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 186 | 23 | 22,252 |
Malcom's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Malcom splits its recorded history at 1961: 66% of all births land in the more recent half, 34% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1880 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1992 peak of 186 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Malcom at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1992
Current rank
#1,737
Active since
1880
Malcom popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1992)
- 186
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Malcom by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Malcom's strongest decade.
1,130 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 19% of all-time use.
Malcom births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 27
1880s
27 births
- 1890s 25
1890s
25 births
- 1900s 35
1900s
35 births
- 1910s 242
1910s
242 births
- 1920s 430
1920s
430 births
- 1930s 332
1930s
332 births
- 1940s 298
1940s
298 births
- 1950s
1950s
529 births
- 1960s 449
1960s
449 births
- 1970s 348
1970s
348 births
- 1980s
1980s
492 births
- 1990s
1990s
1,130 births
- 2000s
2000s
554 births
- 2010s
2010s
459 births
- 2020s
2020s
514 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 1,130 births (19% of all-time use).
How Malcom compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Malcom's total volume
Malcom vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Malcom by state
Where Malcom concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 400 | 6.8% |
| #2 | California | | 209 | 3.6% |
| #3 | Georgia | | 179 | 3.1% |
| #4 | Florida | | 177 | 3.0% |
| #5 | New York | | 136 | 2.3% |
| #6 | Alabama | | 112 | 1.9% |
| #7 | North Carolina | | 103 | 1.8% |
| #8 | Louisiana | | 75 | 1.3% |
Texas share of Malcom's total US births 6.8%
Even split
400 of 5,864 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 25 reporting states.
Malcom appears in 25 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Malcom? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 5,864 babies named Malcom. Today it holds rank #1737 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1992, with 186 births.
When was Malcom most popular? ▼
Malcom was most popular in the 1990s decade with 1,130 total births. The single peak year was 1992.
Where is Malcom most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Malcom are Texas (400 births), California (209 births), Georgia (179 births).
How long has the name Malcom been used? ▼
Records for Malcom go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Malcom? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Malcolm, Malachi, Malik, Malakai, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Malcom's data
- Malcom's usage has stayed within range of its 1990s decade-level peak (1,130 total births) through the 2020s (514) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Malcoms (400 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Malcom
Nearby Names Like Malcom
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Malcom
Malcolm Boy
#314 70,209 births
Malachi Boy
#149 65,758 births
Malik Boy
#428 49,607 births
Malakai Boy
#232 17,830 births
Malaki Boy
#1377 4,786 births
Compare Malcom side by side: Malcom vs Malcolm Malcom vs Malachi Malcom vs Malik
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Malcom
Josh #1736
17,288 births · Peak 1979
Presley #1738
4,945 births · Peak 2009
Clifton #1735
70,249 births · Peak 1975
Ignatius #1739
4,075 births · Peak 2025
Xion #1734
1,003 births · Peak 2024
Hazen #1740
2,327 births · Peak 2024
Kyrin #1733
2,099 births · Peak 2017
Jacobo #1741
3,486 births · Peak 2023
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Malcom: #1737 Boys' Name - 5,864 Births, Peak 1992." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/malcom. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Malcom draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.